Interior Design Trends – Southwestern Design is Not Dead

From rugs to wall coverings and from draperies to fabrics, the demise of southwestern design has been greatly exaggerated. As proof, we offer the collaboration of Kravet, the industry leader in to-the-trade fabric and furnishings, with Museum of New Mexico.For this stunning fabric collection, the Museum tells the story of its unique place as a crossroads of international trade and culture through fabrics inspired by the Museum's renowned textile, basketry, and ceramic collections.The inspiration for these modern interpretations of traditional southwestern designs was drawn primarily from small-scale patterns and embroideries in the 25,000-piece textile and dress collection at the Museum of International Folk Art. Iconic Native American textile and ceramic pieces from the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture also influenced many of the collection's designs. These museums comprise two of the Museum of New Mexico's four cultural institutions.Color and texture inspirations came from diverse mediums such as pottery, basketry, textiles and cut paper patterns. The result is rich textures and pops of vivid colors that mimic the crisp blue sky, the red earth, and an array of the complementary hues, both hot and cool, so often identified with the beautiful Santa Fe landscape.Kravet Fabrics & TextilesTextile designer and Museum of International Folk Art donor Alexander Girard quoted an Italian proverb when asked why he collected the folk art of the world's artisans: "Tutto il mondo e paes" or, "The whole world is hometown.""In partnering with us and by choosing such a broad spectrum of Museum textiles for inspiration, Kravet too is saying, 'The whole world is hometown' and that there are no foreigners," said Pamela Kelly, Vice President of Licensing and Brand Management for the Museum.Santa Fe has been an international hub of culture and commerce for centuries, as well as a creative haven for artists, writers, collectors, and others drawn to the region's bohemian lifestyle, spacious landscapes and rich cultural traditions. This eclectic ensemble of textiles embodies this creative approach to living – collected, worldly, and modern. (Kravet)Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

3 Easy Tips for Marketing Videos to Promote Your Design Business

In a previous post, we explained the incredible value of video marketing and shared a list of the best types of marketing videos you can use to promote your interior design business. Yet, many design business owners continue to resist the use of video in their marketing plan, usually due to fear: fear of cost, fear of looking bad, fear of embarrassing themselves.There is only one thing that can be said about that – get over it.Marketing with video is simply too powerful and effective for you to allow fear to keep you from using it to promote your design business. As a way to help you with that, we’d like to share a few ideas that should make using video much easier for you, helping you find your comfort zone with video marketing.3 Easy Marketing Video PresentationsWhile we listed 11 types of videos that have real value for marketing any business, we’d like to focus on the three easiest types of videos you can produce as the foundation of your marketing strategy. And, since you now have a comprehensive content plan in place, you will never be wanting for subjects.

1. Tip Videos – As a tool for building your reputation as an expert in the design niche, a tip video may have no equal. In just 3-5 minutes, you can outline a popular pain point for potential design clients, then offer 1-3 solutions. This lets them know you understand their needs and that you have the answer they’re searching for. It’s a huge win for them, and for you, as you freely share your obvious expertise.
2. How-to Videos – Usually a bit longer than a tip video, a how-to video can be used to explain concepts that may be difficult for the uninitiated to understand. From the fundamentals of the design process to programming SMART appliances or electronics, both prospects and clients will appreciate your guidance through a world with which they are likely unfamiliar.
3. Client Testimonials – These are the easiest videos of all to produce – since you may not even appear on camera! Since you're already asking your very happy design clients to write a testimonial for you (YES, you are!), it’s a simple step to ask a few of them if they would be willing to use their camera phone or web camera to shoot a quick video testimonial for you. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by how many of them say “Yes”.

With attention spans shrinking, offering a quick, clear video presentation that educates your viewer is becoming an increasingly powerful online marketing tool. For maximum effect, your videos should be uploaded to both your website and your YouTube channel. (OF COURSE, you have a YouTube channel, right?)And, as mentioned above, your videos should be used as the foundation of your marketing strategy, with your weekly blog posts and social media content focused on the subjects of your weekly videos.So, easy peasy, you now have a video marketing plan in place that coincides perfectly with your 5-minute content plan, enabling you to share your expertise across a variety of platforms as part of your marketing strategy.See how it all comes together so well, with these 3 easy tips for marketing videos to promote your design business online?Looking for more interior design marketing tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Designer Marketing Tips - How to Create a Content Plan in 5 Minutes

Once you’ve fully grasped the idea that content marketing and social media marketing are the keys to growing your interior design business, a new challenge rears its head, developing a content plan. “So”, you ask, “where do all the ideas for content come from?”The good news is, you're not alone in wondering. The bad news is, in the highly competitive world of online marketing, you can no longer afford to simply “wing it” each week.You need a plan that enables you to employ a strategic approach to online marketing and, without a solid content plan, you will continue to struggle to create content that engages and converts your target audience.The best news is, there is a very simple approach to creating a solid content plan that you can complete in 5-10 minutes – literally!The 5-Minute Content PlanThis content plan can be completed in five minutes and can literally create the entire foundation for all of the content that you produce, for six months to a year at a time. Here is a step-by-step process for creating a fresh content plan:

1. Pull out a blank piece of paper – landscape not portrait
2. At the top, write your topic all – “Interior Design Content Plan”
3. Below that, list 5-7 category topics – things that matter to you and/or your prospects or clients
4. Next, give yourself five minutes to list as many related sub-topics as you can think of – specific issues or pain points you or your clients may deal with regularly
5. After five minutes – stop and check your list
6. Keep it close at all times, in a place where you see it every day – tape it to the wall in front of your desk or pin it to your kid’s forehead (NOT! LOL). Just make sure you have easy and regular access to your new content plan.

Wonder of wonders, you now have 25, 35, or even 50 new, clearly defined design-related subjects on which to focus your efforts and energies as you create fresh content: videos, blog posts, social media content, emails and newsletters, articles, opt-in freebies – even ideas for products and services!Content Plan ExampleIf this is still unclear, check out the example below. 

Interior Design Content Plan: 45 Weeks of Content

FURNITURE/APPLIANCES	CARPETING/RUGS	FLOORING	WINDOW TREATMENTS	WALL COVERINGS	SPACES
Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price
Leather Quality	Wool	Hardwood Pro/Con	Drapery	Traditional Wallpaper	Kitchen
Upholstered Furniture	Silk & Viscose	Laminate Pro/Con	Curtains	Vinyl Wallpaper	Living Room
Wood Furniture	Cotton	Linoleum Pro/Con	Blinds	Tile	Family Room
Kitchen Appliances	Natural Fibers	Tile Pro/Con	Wood vs Vinyl Blinds	Paint	Master Suite
Electronics	Synthetics	Vinyl Pro/Con		Velvet	Children's Room
SMART Appliances	Specific Uses	Cork Pro/Con		Twills & Ticks	Guest Room
		Specific Uses		Felt	Office
				Specific Uses	Mattresses
					Beds
					Furniture

Of course, the specifics of the sub-topics will vary greatly from designer to designer, as they should; based on training, experience, and market forces. But, the basics of this approach are the same everywhere and this exercise can work – and has worked – for literally anyone.The real beauty of doing this is two-fold: 1) none of it is written in stone and can be tweaked at any time, 2) you now have a plan of action to follow, instead of trying to wing it (and usually underdelivering).What would your categories and sub-topics be after investing five minutes into this content plan exercise? Share a few ideas with us by commenting below.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Audience Survey Follow-up Emails – Designer Nurture Campaign

Now that you have a sense of the issues that are most important to your audience, thanks to the quarterly survey of your email subscriber list, you can take your marketing efforts a step further by employing a series of survey follow-up emails.Often referred to as a nurture campaign, the series of survey follow-up emails you will use to engage with your subscribers will build relationships, establishing your expertise as a designer, and encourage them to act in ways that will benefit both of you. The campaign will focus on marketing and communication efforts by listening to the needs of prospects and providing them with the information and answers they need.So, how to begin a nurture campaign?Pick the TWO most common answers to the question, “What is the most burning question…”In your follow-up email, ask them to choose ONE of the two and hit “Reply” to tell you.Once you receive their answer, you have the perfect opportunity to send them the BRAND-NEW FREE GIFT you created for them: “The Solution to [problem A/B] That Always Works.” Click here to download your free copy today!Oh, did we forget to mention the new gifts?It’s Time to Create More FreebiesThe point of a nurture campaign is to encourage subscribers to engage with you more freely, and giving them free stuff will encourage them to click-through to your website and take the action you’ve asked of them.Of course, this strategy will only be successful if the gift has real value to your subscriber, something that answers their “#1 most burning question” and helps them overcome a pain point.Ultimately, your nurture campaign has three goals:

• Turn subscribers into leads
• Turn leads into buyers
• Generate referrals & new leads greatest hope for your follow-up emails is to make a sale, accomplishing any one of these three goals can be considered a success.

Your greatest hope for your follow-up emails is to make a sale, so accomplishing any one of these three goals can be considered a success.Remember, this is a campaign, not a one-off hard sell email. More emails will follow this first follow-up – and yes, you may want to offer more freebies, such as a free consultation or free estimate of a larger solution to their problem.Plus, the whole campaign can be set up to run automatically, using an automated email marketing service like MailChimp, Aweber, ActiveCampaign, or Infusionsoft (the big boy on the block).Using a series of survey follow-up emails at the beginning of a nurture campaign is a proven marketing strategy that, if implemented with sincerity and patience, can offer an excellent return on investment.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Grow Your Interior Design Business – Survey Your Audience

In a previous post about analyzing your market, we offered some general guidance about market research that could help you grow your interior design business. Today, we’d like to add a tip that will help you further: Survey your audience.In the world of online marketing, building an email list is considered one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal for engaging with prospects and clients. What many of the online marketing “experts” neglect to mention is that your list can also be an incredibly valuable resource for developing important marketing information.The feedback you receive from your list may be the most valuable source you have at your disposal because you already know they’re interested in you and your business – they told you that by opting-in to your list.Survey Your Email ListWhether you have a big audience or a teeny tiny audience doesn't matter. What does matter is that you need to be sending out questions to get to know your audience better. And, since your email list is something of a captive audience, they’re an excellent resource for marketing information.Using the information they share with you in response to your surveys will enable you to create more products and services that your audience wants. This will not only increase your sales, but it will also help you to build a stronger social media following and increase traffic to your website. These are very good things!You may have heard that surveying your audience is something that you should be doing but, it’s very likely you are not, and it is tragic if you are not continually surveying your audience on a quarterly basis.We recommend putting this activity into your calendar where, perhaps once a quarter, you get an automatic alert that notifies you that it’s again time to send out a survey to your list.Survey Questions for Your ListA time-tested practice would be to limit your quarterly survey to about five questions. Why just five? You want to respect people's time, and they are going to answer it out of the goodness of their hearts.For example, you might send an email to your list saying something like:“Hey, I’m at this place in my business where I'm wanting to make sure that I'm on target and I'm giving you the best value that I can. So, I have five quick questions for you, and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute and answer them for me.”One of the questions on your survey should always be:“What's your number-one most burning question when it comes to working with an interior designer?”Of course, you may have a more specific category that is your most burning question for your audience but, you get the idea.You can ask them about anything that matters to you: leather vs. cloth furniture, rugs vs. carpeting, draperies vs. blinds, mass-produced vs. hand-finished products, etc.Whatever you choose to ask about, that is always a must on your surveys because you'll start to find patterns among the answers you receive, illuminating the most common questions people are asking. Once you know what matters most to them, you can begin to shift your marketing to meet that need.Use the remaining questions in your survey to follow-up on that subject, perhaps with questions they might ask themselves – if only they knew what to ask. After all, you’re the expert, so ask the questions an expert would ask.BONUS TIP: Use these surveys to help you create content for your blog, tip videos, and social media too. Frankly, the more people who see you addressing the issues that matter most to your audience, the larger that audience will grow. This will boost your reputation, both online and offline, increase website traffic, expand your list, and increase inquiries from potential clients.That’s a win/win for everyone!Again, your goal is to find out what matters to your audience, without your personal or professional biases leading you in a direction that may not profit you.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Internet Marketing Tips – 5 Best Ways to Use Video Marketing

We all know that video can be entertaining and that there are millions out there on the internet who will watch nothing but those cute cat and dog videos for their amusement every day. While “creations” like these may attract a broad audience, they do little to help a business gain traction or engagement with a targeted audience.When it comes to using video for marketing your design business, the question must be answered: Whom are you trying to reach – and why?Business objectives with video marketingUltimately, the goal of every marketing effort should be to generate income. However, the ways you go about doing this can make all the difference in the just how you employ video as part of your marketing efforts. In other words, while the long-term goal of your marketing efforts is to boost revenue, you should also have a short-term goal for each video you produce.Video can be used in a variety of ways, with a range of outcomes for your business. Here are the five best ways to use video in your marketing efforts:

1. Lead Generation – Valuable information tends to be shared, which will increase interest in what you have to offer. This will boost traffic from your video platform (YouTube, for example) to your website, creating opportunities for enhanced list-building. Whether you provide “explainer” videos, “how-to” videos, or make other types of information available in your videos, the more value it has, the more leads you’ll generate.
2. Increased Engagement – Good video generates comments from the audience, which creates opportunities for you to interact with them. Doing so allows your audience to “get to know you” on a more personal level, building loyalty toward you and your brand.
3. Brand Awareness – Imagery reinforces brand awareness as almost nothing else can. Once your audience has a firm picture of your brand embedded in their minds, it will be difficult for your competition to replace it.
4. Product launch – Something like 65% of people are visual learners. This means that showing a new product will likely be far more effective than explaining it to your target audience. If you're launching a new service, create videos that show it in the most flattering way possible, while also clearly demonstrating the benefits of using it – how it will make their life better.
5. Conversions – Making the sale is your ultimate goal, so you should never forget to create videos in which you ask for the sale. As you use your marketing videos to engage and build relationships with your target audience, it will become increasingly difficult for them to refuse when you ask them to buy from you. Use this to your advantage to increase conversions and boost ROI.

BONUS TIP: User Reviews – 61% of shoppers check out product reviews before buying, according to AdWeek.com. Whether you're offering a product or service, the opinions of satisfied customers genuinely do matter. Video reviews are even more powerful because your audience can see the reviewer and judge their honesty and integrity for themselves. Take advantage of this by creating user reviews as an integral part of your video marketing strategy.Can you think of other ways to best use video to promote your business? How has video enhanced your marketing efforts? What do you think are the best ways to use video for marketing your business?Looking for more interior design marketing tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Designer Marketing Tips – Interior Designer Marketing Plan

Does this sound something like your current marketing plan or strategy? Not to be overly negative or judgmental here but, the typical interior designer marketing plan looks a bit like this:

• Blog posts – when the mood strikes and when there’s time.
• Facebook & Instagram posts – a few times a month, when there’s time.
• Tweets – a few times a week, when there’s time.
• Emails to the list – every few months, when there’s time.
• Monthly newsletter – every few months, when there’s time.
• Attend industry functions – if the fee is not too high when there’s time.

Of course, the result of such efforts is relatively obvious… New clients show up – if the mood strikes – when they have time!NOTE: While the above may seem harsh at first glance, it must be said this type of “marketing plan” is fairly typical of most small businesses and solopreneurs today.Again, the point here is not to find fault but to let you now that the time you may spend on such efforts is virtually wasted. In fact, you would be far better off focusing on just one or two of these marketing strategies and devoted yourself to them – effectively – than to waste time trying to do all of them – poorly.With this in mind, let’s examine some marketing plan priorities.How to Develop a Marketing PlanOver the next few months, our goal will be to provide you with the basic elements of a how you can develop a marketing plan that will enable you to grow your interior design business. While the elements we present may not lead to “Aha!” moments for you, you can take comfort in the fact that they’ve been proven effective and should not be overly time-consuming.So, where do we begin? With a few marketing plan basics.

• Stay local – For the vast majority of designers, your market is local. This means that putting time, effort, and cash into developing a national reputation is mostly wasted. On the other hand, developing a strong local reputation can lead to expanding markets. So, focus your efforts near to home and, as you build your reputation and your list of satisfied clients begins to grow, the expansion will take care of itself (to a large extent).
• Target audience – Marketing your services to people who do not want them is a waste of time, as is marketing yourself to those you do not want to work for. Far too many entrepreneurs go into business without a clear idea of who may need – and want – and be willing to pay for – their services. Discovering who it is that needs and can afford the work you offer is the first step to developing an effective marketing plan. (More on this step later.)
• Watch other designers online – Check out the content and blog posts from the other designers or companies that you follow and glean tips from their frequency and the focus of their content to bolster your web content and blog posts. (Local competition will tell you where they’re struggling if you learn to read the signs.)
• Check your menu – Are there aspects to design work that you dislike? Are there areas in which you excel, and others in which you struggle? Of course, there are – you're human. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Instead, perform a bit more research and learn which of your competitors excel in the areas you struggle, and which struggle in the areas where you excel. Then, market yourself accordingly and keep your menu of services focused on those areas. (Who knows, you may even be able to come to an agreement with them in which you recommend each other for those projects.)

These tips should get us started, for now. Yes, they’re somewhat obvious yet, without these in the forefront of your mind, it will be nearly impossible to begin working on a coherent interior designer marketing plan. Plus, there will be plenty more ideas where these came from as we move forward in this series of blog posts. So, stay tuned…Looking for more interior design marketing tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Online Marketing Tips – Why Video Marketing Works Best for Online Sales

Interior designers, especially those working in the largely impersonal world of internet marketing, need to focus on content that tells a story and video is a great way to do that. In fact, video excels at quickly grabbing the attention of your audience, and enables strong storytelling in a short but memorable format that viewers can enjoy – and which you can measure.In today’s crowded online marketplace, you need to cut through the background noise if you hope to engage your prospects; using video content that entertains, inspires, and educates them about what you do and who you are, including the culture of your company. Doing this not only helps prospective clients get to know you but, by allowing them to learn more about who you are, you will also increase interest and build loyalty.But, there are even more important reasons to use video as part of your marketing strategy:

• 90% of all content shared by users on social media in 2017 was video.
• 76% of marketers say video marketing has helped them increase traffic and SALES.
• 85% of people say they'd like to see more video from brands in 2018.

Beyond these statistics, it must be said that, because interior design is such a visual experience, putting the power of video marketing to work for you makes perfect sense.The benefits of video marketingThough some online marketers would certainly argue the point, nothing will ever replace the need for written text at a marketing site. However, as a tool for conveying vast amounts of information in a short amount of time, video has no equal; as images, text, and narration all come together to generate an incredibly powerful message for your viewer.Just imagine how compelling your most popular blog post would become if you were narrating it over images of happy clients explaining how your design solutions helped them overcome a particular problem. Add a call-to-action that impels them to seek your help, and you’ve created an all-in-one tool that pounds nails, drives screws, and tightens bolts at the same time.Could anything be more powerful – or effective?Best types of marketing videosOnce you’ve accepted that marketing with video has value for you and your design business, you need to determine the best type of video for reaching your client base. Of course, this will largely be determined by the nature of your business, and your target audience. The more technical your advice, the more you’ll need to create “explainer” videos. The more luxurious your product line, the more seductive your approach should be. The more useful your services, the more benefits-based you’ll need to be in your video.Here are some of the different types of video you can use to promote your business:

• Explainer/tutorial/demo videos
• Product/tool/service reviews
• Culture videos
• Video tips series
• Expert interviews
• Testimonials
• PowerPoint video
• Animations
• Video email

More than anything, and regardless of the types of video you choose to use, the critical factor in your success will be whether you inform and entertain with your marketing videos. This is true of all of the content you create of course but, it’s even more important with video – because that is what your audience has been conditioned by experience to expect from watching a video.Are you currently marketing with video? How has it helped to increase engagement, traffic, and conversions? Do you plan to use more video in your marketing strategy?Looking for more interior design marketing tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Interior Design Tips: Dealing with Client Fear #2

In a previous post, we discussed three reasons for client fear of an interior design project: fear of cost; fear of disruption; fear of not loving the result. Today we offer a few more interior design tips to help you overcome other client fears, which may prevent them from accepting your remodeling bid and hiring you.Of course, people being people, your potential clients may not even be consciously aware of these fears; especially if they are considering an interior designer for the first time. Keeping these fears in mind as you begin the qualifying and closing process will greatly improve your odds of closing the deal – and of getting the project right!Design Fear #4: Will the quality of the remodel be healthy and long lasting?Many clients will fear to make an error in quality – of the work and furnishings. As we all know, there are many different levels of quality for every type of product in a decor plan but the client’s taste, wants, and needs must be your guide.While they may not want heirloom quality for their new furnishings, something they could to pass down from generation to generation, they will also not want “curbside” quality furnishings. These are furnishings that are made of inferior materials which may have harmful chemicals used in production and will normally have a shorter lifespan than hoped for.Solution: Discuss quality as fully as possible in advance and select the level of quality that’s appropriate for the client’s budget, offers the longevity/durability they seek and provides the healthful aspect of its production.Design Fear #5: Will all the new stuff be safe for my family?Safety is often taken for granted by both the client and designer yet is of concern to many people; especially those with young children. It’s not at all uncommon for some of the materials in furnishings to be toxic, unfortunately, for instance: they may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals to which some people can be quite sensitive or allergic.Alternately, some products have a dangerous design. For example, the cords on some window blinds are hazardous, even lethal, to pets and children. Some reputable manufacturers have designed alternative lift systems for these shades or have crafted the cording so that it breaks away when weight is applied to it so that nothing, child or pet, gets caught in it.Solution: Ask questions about any product you choose for your clients: what it’s made of, how it traveled to where it’s sold, and what its safety features are. Then, explain these things to the homeowner.Design Fear #6: Will there be many, or any, maintenance costs?Worrying about maintenance may not always surface at the beginning of a project but, it certainly becomes a factor once your client begins to live with it – and pay for it. After all, they won’t actually be living in the “look at” types of rooms featured in design magazines.Solution: Think about how easy or difficult your suggestions will be to maintain early in the design process and make it a part of your plan. Then, explain that the furnishings available today, as well as the materials used in them, have many features that will enable them to keep them looking good despite people living on and with them.Stay tuned for a few more client fears that our series of interior design tips will prepare you for, and help you overcome with your own clients.Looking for more interior design marketing tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Choose the Perfect Rug for Your Design Clients: Part 2

You know your client’s home needs new rugs. Your client knows their home needs new rugs. The question becomes: Which factors are the most important for helping you and your clients choose the perfect rug for every space in their home?Below we offer some basics for buying rugs – not because we think designers don’t know them but, as a reminder that most of your design clients will NOT know them – and it’s in your interest to keep these things in mind when trying to close the deal with them.Area Rug Basics – Carpet PileCarpet Pile is the thickness of the carpet that erects from the foundation to the infinite number of free ends of threads. In case of loop pile carpet, the loops are uncut. Whereas cut pile exhibits the similar loops but cut. Cutting is done either on the loom or mechanically after the carpet is woven.The density from the ground structure of the cloth until the free ends of warp forms the carpet pile. The factors behind constituting the pile of a carpet are the length of the carpet threads and the kind of fiber used in weaving a carpet. In addition, it also depends on particular carpet designs. For instance, from a flat weave to a long shag pile, the lush feel of the thread is a marked difference.The production cost of a carpet depends mostly on the amount of the carpet fiber used. Various forms of organic and synthetic fibers are practiced in the carpet industry. Natural fibers comprise of wool, silk, jute, etc. On the other hand, synthetic ones favor olefin, nylon, and polyester serving as common options for durable carpets. Due to demand, natural fiber woven carpets are more expensive than carpets made from artificial ones. However, substances such as nylon and olefin are defiant to wear and tear, help in maintaining a carpet pile which is crush-resistant.Area Rug Basics – Carpet BackingJust as the name suggests, Carpet Backing is the flipside of a carpet. Though often overlooked, this is an extremely important part of an area rug. This side of the carpet is responsible for its structural stability, as well as providing shape and protection to the carpet it supports.The underside material used can be either one of cotton, carpet rayon, Kraft cord, or jute. For area rugs, the primary backing gives a structural element to the carpet; literally holding the yarns in place and enabling them to maintain structural integrity.Padding, on the other hand, is quite different, whether a carpet pad or a pad used beneath an area rug for additional comfort. (Thanks to our friends at JaipurLiving.com)REMINDER: We mentioned this above but it cannot be overemphasized… It’s human nature that we take certain things for granted. The more knowledge and expertise we gather about a particular subject, we tend to forget that others may not even have a grasp of basic facts that we acquired long ago. Never forget that your clients are most likely novices in the area of interior design and they may need your guidance in the most basic facts.That is why we offer posts like this and will continue to do so. Stay tuned for more rug basics in future posts.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.